Power a PC Fan Using Plug-In Transformer - How To

[keitholiverz]

Hey, me again. I've got a CPU Heatsink Arctic Fan which has 4 wires instead of 2. I also got myself a 3-12Volt adapter. I connected the red wire from the fan to the black wire with white stripes from the adapter and the black wire to the solid black wire of the adapter.

Don't know what happened but it didn't work. Did I do something wrong? What would you recommend for CPU fans with 4 wiring - red, black, yellow, blue, when turning it into a desk fan using an Adapter?

[MyRandomReviews]

@keitholiverz - Them fans are most likely PWM fans, I'm pretty sure these cannot be powered by a standard DC transformer so you can't use them this way. Sorry.

[rochix77]

@keitholiverz Black and yellow works.

[stu600cc]

use a old phone charger

[DDawgInkTVProduction]

hey i have a small pc fan that says DC 5V and 0.5A but i only have an adapter that says Output: 5V and 700mA...will it work?

[PwNinat0r2000]

I have 2 large 120mm fans I need to hook up to the mains. They're both the same Cooler Master model and on the front it says "DC 12V 0.16A".

Would I be able to strip the wires of both fans, twist them together and then twist them on to a 12V 1A 1000mA power supply? The one I'm looking to buy says

12V 1A 1000mA (max.) Power Supply Adaptor

Input: 100-240V, 0.33-0.09A, 60/50Hz

DC Output: 12V 1A, Max.12W

Would this all be safe and would it work? 2 fans on one adaptor?

[MyRandomReviews]

@PwNinat0r2000 - Yes, that would power at least 5 of them fans.

[keitholiverz]

actually, if you could point me in the direction to buy an adapter that would work via amazon or something that would be great. I'm looking to buy 80mm PC Computer Chassis Case Cooling Fan Quiet 8cm at £2.45 on Amazon as well.. thanks a lot in advance.

[keitholiverz]

hi mate, was wondering how would you add more than 1 fan to the same transformer? or is that not possible? lol

[MyRandomReviews]

@keitholiverz - Just buy any DC transformer that is rated at the same number of volts as the fan, and a larger amount of amps as all the fans you're intending on using added together.

[rokkangelus]

Thank's so much!! =)

[VenusNeptunos]

i have a  ca/cc adaptor and for some reason the fan blades just move a little. What can i do to make it work?

[MyRandomReviews]

@VenusNeptunos - You need an AC adapter, a DC (Direct Current) adapter doesn't provide the alternating polarity that the fan requires to move.

[MrSuper0bby]

also is this safe? Because when i cut the ac adapter wires i plugged it in and by mistake they tocuhed and there was smoke and blue light. at first i crapped myself but is this whole thing safe?

[MyRandomReviews]

@MrSuper0bby - I'm not here to garuntee your workmanship is safe, although using insulation tape instead of selotape and ensuring that each wire is isolated (tape rapped around the connection by itself, tape around black, different tape around red, more tape around the whole thing...) then there's no reason for it to be unsafe.

Plus you're dealing with voltages that can be created by batteries.

[yousuffaroooq]

@MrSuper0bby 2 things that will make it safe use shrink tube or electrical tape to cover it and ake sure the wires a away

[MrSuper0bby]

so could i use an ac adapter? reply please

[wendigolycan]

Great video man! helped a lot...i needed the info for a frog vivarium cooling system..

One question: if i connect the black and red wires to the transformer's wires but i do it wrong (if they should be the other way) will anything bad happend other than the fan not working?

Thanks!

[MyRandomReviews]

@wendigolycan - I'm no expert, however I think the only difference will be the fan spinning the opposite way.

[Nislo12]

@MyRandomReviews I've tried it a while ago. Nothing happens if you connect red to black and black to red. The fan doesn't spin

[MrTodd198126]

Sorry to say this but this video is just so much nonsense. The yellow cable on the fan is not an earth it is an RPM cable for the fan. Also lots of other things you mentioned are also incorrect but I can't be bothered to go into it.

[halucinacija2]

can i put 2 or 3 fans on Same transformer ??

[MyRandomReviews]

@halucinacija2

Copied from below: One thing I mentioned was current, you need to make sure you're not drawing more current from the charger than it can handle.

Look at your fans and find out how many amps (A) they use each (current), and add them all up.

Now look at your transformer, see how many amps it is rated at. If the charger is rated at a higher number of Amps than your fans all added together, then everything should be fine. If the charger is rated at LESS, you could run into problems.

[J3TPILOT1991]

finally a good tutorial, I'm trying to change the fans in my laptop cooler to 12v fans on a 12v power supply, you just saved me about $15 Aus on molex connectors and an adaptor with a molex, thanks

[MyRandomReviews]

@J3TPILOT1991 - Thanks for watching!

[acarnivorous]

I found this video very helpful! I'm using these fans in my terrariums, and needed this info, Thanks!

[DuckaOFFICIAL]

can you just wire it to a 12v battery?

[MyRandomReviews]

@DuckaOFFICIAL - Yes, but fans use quite a lot of energy. A small 12V battery (i.e.: 8 AA cells) will only last a few hours if not less.

[DuckaOFFICIAL]

thanks man, i ended up wiring 3 fans to a nokia charger, works great!

[MyRandomReviews]

@DuckaOFFICIAL - Well one thing I mentioned was current, you need to make sure you're not drawing more current from the charger than it can handle.

Look at your fans and find out how many amps (A) they use each (current), and add them all up.

Now look at your Nokia charger, see how many amps it is rated at. If the charger is rated at a higher number of Amps than your fans all added together, then everything should be fine. If the charger is rated at LESS, you could run into problems.

[DuckaOFFICIAL]

@MyRandomReviews thanks mann! i did and its all good! thanks for the support :)

[rickymulloy]

youve saved my life thanks bro

[EricOakenspring2031]

what if your fan wires are black yellow and green

[MyRandomReviews]

@EricOakenspring2031 - I've never came across that before. I'd guess that black is neutral (black) yellow is live (red) and green is earth (yellow and green). But I'm not sure.

[EricOakenspring2031]

@MyRandomReviews ok thank for the advice

[sircgraff]

wrong tape O_O shit will burn

[MyRandomReviews]

@sircgraff - Yeah, I wouldn't use selotape usually, but I couldn't find the insulation tape. :P

[sircgraff]

@MyRandomReviews lol helped me alot though thanks a+

[rb1003]

Will it blow up?

[MyRandomReviews]

@rb1003 - Not if you do it properly!

[Charside]

@MrRandomReviews someone's getting a little stealth grow box on the go!!!

Cheers for the info man. Much needed

[MyRandomReviews]

@Charside - I didn't even know what they where until I made this video! XD

[FreeFireGaming]

Thanks man this really helped a lot :D

[akinorhan5]

i can power a fan using usb... im not joking

[MyRandomReviews]

@akinorhan5 - I'm sure.

[akinorhan5]

@MyRandomReviews im 14 years old

[scareface1197]

@akinorhan5 i can to. the only problem is a usb only gives about 5 volts when it needs 12 so it runs super slow

[jaytabz]

how can i increase the speed of the fan. i've tried 3 different adapters and the fan still barely blows air. maybe because the fan just sucks?

[MyRandomReviews]

@jaytabz - Well if the fan is rated at 12 volts the maximum you should put through it is 12 volts. However if the adapter is less than 12 volts, then the fan will move slower. The higher the voltage the faster the fan will move, but don't go over the rated voltage of the fan, else you'll most likely burn out the motor.

[jaytabz]

@MyRandomReviews my fan is a 12v and so it the adapter. i have a different fan of the same brand both plugged in the same adapter and one is faster than the other. why is it like that?

[MyRandomReviews]

@jaytabz - You need the adapter to have a higher current rating than your fan. Maybe your adapter is rated at only 1 amp and your fan needs 2 amps or something. If your fan has got a higher current rating than the adapter, do not use it! It could cause many problems with the adapter and probably a burn out.

[twain55]

Great video. Exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks!

[DjObsta]

thanks, finaly a descriptive and usefull video, been looking forever for a tutorial like this, +++

[MyRandomReviews]

@DjObsta - No problem, and thank you! :)

[willybabe18]

thanx dude, took me 5 mins to wire up an old phone adapter and pc fan thanx to this vid :)

[OllieMilneSk8]

thanks man

[ikharus1]

hey i mounted 3 fans to a transformer from an electric power tool and the damn transformer overheated and died ! now i cant power my fans nor recharge the power tool. got any idea why it burned ? please help

[MyRandomReviews]

@ikharus1 - It's most likely the amount of power that three fans draws from the transformer. You need to make sure that you have a sufficient current rating to power all three fans.

As you saw in the video, my fan uses 0.3A or 300mA, my transformer was rated at 1000mA, therefore connecting three of my fans would use 900mA, which would be fine.

However, I guess your fans used more that that amount of current or your transformer was rated at a lower current.

[ikharus1]

@MyRandomReviews wow that makes sense, thanks a lot, ill run tomorow at a local electronics store hope they have a higher amperage transformer and a transformer for my power tool.

[clatcho]

cool video mate

[Zeamus634]

Stupid title, when its in the computer it is still using mains power.

[MyRandomReviews]

@Zeamus634 - Your title suggestion is...

[Zeamus634]

@MyRandomReviews

'Powering a PC fan using a plug in transformer.' Its exactly the same as using an computer power supply, you shouldn't call it mains electricity because that implies that you are using 110 / 230 volt ac to power it.

[MyRandomReviews]

@Zeamus634 - KK, thanks! :)

[appleip]

i was Hoping u were putting 120vac into a 12vdc fan

[MyRandomReviews]

@appleip - Haha, oops - misleading.

(We have 240V AC mains in the UK)

[ExternalPk]

thanks ive been looking for this for ages.

[twomod77]

I like ur video but why would u need to do that?

[MyRandomReviews]

@twomod77 - To cool other things than a PC case. :P

[Soka53]

just what i needed to know.

thanks mate

[MyRandomReviews]

@Soka53 NP, exactly why I made it!

[RyaniPhoneReviews]

cool product! Great video as always.